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3SELF RELIANCE Illustrated Issue Number 2, May/June 2011

Cover Image:Photograph by Joe Classen.

Self Reliance Illustrated LLC.

1523 Pershing Avenue

Steubenville, OH 43952

740-317-8220http://www.selfrelianceillustrated.com

[email protected]

Managing EditorsDave Canterbury

James CanterburyDan CoppinsL.T. Wright

Associate EditorJason W. Gatliff

Copy EditorMichael Henninger

Production ManagerJason W. Gatliff

Production AssistantMichael Henninger

Advertising ContactCharles Fedunok

Follow us on facebook!

Copyright 2011

Please Recycle

Contents

Editorials

Letter from the Editors by Dan Coppins ......................................................4

About This Issue by Michael Henninger ...................................................... 5

Inspirational

Whats in my Pack? by Dave Canterbury.................................................... 7

Getting Your Family Involvedby Craig Caudill ........................................ 10

Ask Payge by Payge McMahon .................................................................14

Hunting

Tips from the Bowguy by Jamie Burleigh...............................................16

The Air Rifle by Joshua Dick ......................................................................20

Shelter

The Semi-Pyramidal Shelterby Matthias Bart ...........................................23

Water

Popular Chemical Water Treatments by Joe Flowers ...............................28

The Type 87 Canteen by Tim Stetzer .........................................................31

Fire

Fire Kitby Steve Voss ...............................................................................35

The Bamboo Fire Saw by Ken Seal III ......................................................38

Fire by Larry Carr ......................................................................................57

First Aid

Snakes on a Veinby Dave Lohmann .........................................................41

Advanced First Aidby Kelly Martin ..........................................................43

Navigation

Basic Land Navigation by Derek Faria.......................................................50

Food

The Realities of Harvesting Wild Plants by Caleb Musgrave ....................53Homemade MREs by Gerald Young .........................................................59

Do It Yourself

Beyond the Ten Essentials by Kevin Estela............................................... 64

Survival in the Cubicle Jungle by Eric McCracken ...................................67

Making Your Own Oilcloth by Chance Sanders .........................................71

Truckers Hitch by Scott Wickham Jr. .......................................................76

Gear Reviews

Budget Bush Blades by Tim Stetzer ...........................................................82

Bullpac by Brian Mayer .............................................................................87

Pathfinder Youth Organization

Why? by William Sigler .............................................................................91

The Grind: Whats New at Blind Horse Knives by Alicia McQuain ............96

Advertiser Index ...........................................................................................98

Book Review ................................................................................................98

Self Reliance Illustrated (ISSN appliedfor), Copyright 2011, is published bi-monthly by Self Reliance Illustrated LLC,1523 Pershing Avenue, Steubenville, OH43952. Telephone 740-317-8220, Emaili n f o @ s e l f r e l i a n c e i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m .Application to Mail at Periodicals PostagePrices is Pending at Steubenville, Ohio andat additional mailing offices. Single issue

price $6.99. Subscription prices for the US:$35.00 per year; Electronic Subscriptions:$30.00 per year; International: $60.00 peryear. POSTMASTER: send address changesto Self Reliance Illustrated, Attn:Subscriptions, 1523 Pershing Avenue

Steubenville, OH 43952. Give new and oldaddress including zip code. Please allowfour weeks to become effective.


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4 SELF RELIANCE Illustrated Issue Number 2, May/June 2011

Mission Statement

Self Reliance Illustrated, a

collaboration between two grassroots

companies (Blind Horse Knives LLC and The

Pathfinder School LLC), will present a new and

innovative approach to self-reliance, survival,

and preparedness. Within these pages you will

find detailed information on subjects that relate

directly to your ability to survive. The

collaboration of The Pathfinder School LLCand Blind Horse Knives LLC is one that is

heavily focused on the development of the best

tool options for any wilderness situation, as

well as the dissemination of information and

cross-cultural learning that will truly help us to

maintain and pass on the tribal knowledge.What

the Pathfinder System symbolizes is learning

from everyone around you and valuing

everyones opinion. To that end you will see

many articles by people you may have never

seen or heard of that will pass on ideas that we

believe are worth learning, so that all have the

ability to teach and learn from one another.

We will be posting feedback in each

issue from our subscribers, both good and bad,

so that we may constantly improve on this

magazine. In the end, this is not our magazinebut your magazine and we want it to be worth

your valuable time, energy and money.

Within this magazine, like any other,

you will see advertisements from companies

selling their wares. However, it is our decision

that not just any company will be allowed to

advertise with us just because they want to pay

for advertising. All advertisers will have to be

approved by our board before placing ads, and

their goods will have to be something we

consider worthwhile for purchase by our valued

subscribers.

Lastly, we will not down grade any

individual, business, or company within these

pages. You will only see reviews for equipment

that we trust and that you can trust yoursurvivability to. It is our opinion that all

publications are learning tools and that we

should support those entities wishing to provide

quality information on subjects of interest. It is

our goal and mission to become the best source

of learning and teaching possible,

understanding that other publications dealing

with the same subject matter are out there and

are worthy of your attention as well.

Thank you,

Dave Canterbury

James Canterbury

Dan Coppins

L.T. Wright.

From the EditorsNot Just Another Magazine...

Ihad a conversation with Dave Canterbury about how cool it wouldbe to have a magazine, one that would bring people together from

the knife world and join them with the survival world. What apowerful media it would be. Little did I know how big it actually

would become.

Several years ago LT and I talked about starting a knife

magazine. After talking to Dave, it seemed that the time was right to dojust that.

Our philosophy with the knife company is that it belongs to thepeople. They will influence the direction we go including design and

function. I saw no reason to do the magazine any different. Mychallenge to you, the reader, is to get involved. What knowledge do

you have that you can share with us or with others? This is intended tobe a magazine devoted to the people who read it and those whoadvertise on the pages within it. We can all learn about the thingswritten within the magazine, so let's read it, support those whoadvertise in it, and let's try to do what we read about and share the

experience with someone. If you are not finding in the magazine whatyou would like to know about we encourage you to let us know so wemight find someone who can write an article about that topic. Maybe

that someone is you.

Self reliance can mean a lot of different things and cover a lotof different subjects. I for one will be one of the people out there doingthe things I read about. What better things could a grandfather, father,

mother, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, friend and no I did not forgetgrandma (I saved the best for last), pass down? Self reliance knowledgeand information can be passed down like Grandmothers usually pass

down things that taste good, recipes and such. All too fast the world isbecoming a world of uncertainty and hatred. Where is the love people?!

Friendships are being created and bonds are being madebecause of the effort of the people both in the survival education

community as well as the knife community. Something deeply rootedwithin these two groups of people shows me that they truly care aboutothers and they are willing to help. Lets remember to take the focus offof ourselves and try to focus on helping others. Maybe, just maybe this

effort will change the world.

May god bless you for your efforts.

Dan Coppins 054

Romans 10:9

The articles in Self Reliance Illustrated are foreducational purposes only. The views and opinions

expressed are of the author only and in no way

should be construed as the opinions of Self Reliance

Illustrated LLC, The Pathfinder School LLC, Blind

Horse Knives LLC, or any of their officers or

employees. The articles may describe activities and

techniques which may be dangerous to you or to

others. Self Reliance Illustrated LLC, The

Pathfinder School LLC, Blind Horse Knives LLC,

their officers, and their employees do not endorse

the views in these articles nor do we recommend

trying these techniques at home.


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Every issue at SRI I am asked why I pickedcertain articles for each edition. Once

explained, everyone tends to agree with me.So this time I am going to include it for everyone.

As the winter months come to an end, and thesnow melts, everyone starts to get a little cabin fever.Now is the time to consider expanding your skill set.We have included a number of articles that help youto think about self-reliance as an every day skill.You never know when a natural disaster will changeyour world; an accident will force you to assess yoursituation, or an opportunity to pass on yourknowledge to another.

The survival mindset gets us prepared for thesituation. We included articles on getting practice inan urban environment, as well as what you need tokeep in your workplace to facilitate self-reliance.

This issue also has a great review fromWoods Monkeys Associate Editor, Tim Stetzer, of

budget bush knives and some excellent DIY projectsall keeping the bottom line in mind.

The highlight of issue #2 in the Food sectionyou can learn how to make your own MREs and wediscuss the importance of understanding wild ediblesand the harvest before attacking the plants in yourlocal area.

On behalf of everyone at SRI, I thank you foryour support and welcome each of you to contributesomething, as this is your magazine.

Mike Henninger

By Michael Henninger

About This Issue...

1 year 6 bi-monthly issues


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Many people carry many different items intheir packs on a daily basis depending onthe situation, environment, and activities

planned. I believe that this is called adapting to thesituation, which is what self-reliance and survival areall about. With that being said, it has been my

passion over these last years to research what baseitems are really needed. Through practical exercise,trial and error, I have found I can simply add orsubtract a few essentials. These would be dependentmainly on a specialized task, environmental orseasonal change.

This thought process is exactly what led up tothe development of what I call the 5 Cs of

Survivability. I believe that certain items are a mustfor any emergency scenario and these items shouldbe considered first for any Pack or B.O.B. (Bug OutBag) you intend to use or create for daily use or evena Car/Truck type kit. The basis of the 5 Cs are in mymind the items that take the most energy or

specialized materials to create from natural materialsin the wild should the need arise. So consider for a

Dave Canterbury is the owner of The Pathfinder School,

LLC. and Co-Host of the television show Dual Survival,

which aires on the Discovery Channel, he is an avid

woodsman and Hunter, Military Veteran, and Survivalist

working with hundreds of people each year to pass on the

tribal knowledge. Dave is also one of the Co-Founders of

Self Reliance Illustrated.

Whats in my Pack?The Five Cs of Survivability!Photos by Iris Canterbury

Copyright 2010 Discovery Communications, LLC


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moment you are caught in the wild and need tosurvive for a 72 hour SAR (Search and Rescue) typescenario. What things do I absolutely have to have tomake it through even if I am a bit uncomfortable orlow on supplies? Well the main item for anysituation like this would be a cutting tool of somesort. With the right cutting tool and a bit of skill I cancreate anything else I absolutely need like a Fire Set,Shelter, Container, and or Cordage, as these are theitems that are of the most use to me in controlling mycore temperature. CCT (Controlling CoreTemperature) is the main necessity in any emergencysituation and is the biggest killer of people lost orstranded due to Hyperthermia or Hypothermia. Sothe other items mentioned above like Fire, Shelter,Water collection and disinfection, and the ability tolash things like shelters or make improvised toolsfrom cordage are essentials as well.

Looking at the above list it is easy tounderstand what I call the 5 Cs of Survivability.

Cutting Tool

Combustion Device

Cover

Container

Cordage

With these 5 items you can effectivelyaccomplish all your basic survival needs for a shortperiod if they are the right combination of theseitems. That is what we will discuss first in thisarticle.

The Cutting tool you carry should be able tocomplete any tasks needed to accomplish the other 4

items in the event of an equipment failure as aminimum, so this is what is needed from any toolyou choose. A small pocket-style folding knife willbe hard pressed to easily accomplish tasks likesplitting large logs for fire wood fuel or felling 4trees to build shelter. A tool for this task should besomething that is not too large either as you mayneed delicate carving for Fire set making or foodpreparation. To that end I would recommend a 5-6Blade on a Full tang knife or possibly a small handaxe if you have the skill set and practice to use it fordelicate jobs as well. Many people today seem to

carry MTs (Multi Tools) as a standard emergencytool and I love these items for an extra tool as theycan definitely be useful for many things but theyshould never be your first or only choice in this

category as they are just not large enough or strongenough to be the one tool you trust your life to forthe above listed tasks. I also recommend that yourtool be made from High Carbon steel and not

stainless or some other exotic metal because it needsto be as multi functional as the rest of your gear, andwe will address this as we go. The spine of any knifechosen as your ET (Emergency Tool) should be a 90-degree flat ground and sharp angle on the spine sothat it can be used for striking a Ferro rod. This savesyou from using the blade for this function therebyconserving your resources and not dulling the bladeunnecessarily. The reason for the High Carbon steel


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blade is for use as a Steel for sparking Flint or otherhard rock material for use in fire starting as well ifother methods fail or get damaged. Remember thatany items used for the kit must be multi- purpose sothat you eliminate unneeded weight and canaccomplish more with less, this is a basic concept toconserve resources like the calories in energy spent

to carry the kit or the hydration lost from heavy loadsand sweating.

Combustion devices should be capable of themost bang for the buck as well and should offeroptions for things like dry tinder storage if possibleas well. The most important thing needed from anemergency combustion device is SURE FIRE! WhenI say sure fire I am not necessarily speaking of things

like lighters which may or may not produce sureflame in wet environments or after you have beenturned over in your canoe. I am really talking aboutcombinations like the Ultimate SurvivalTechnologies Strike Force and Wet Fire cubes. Thisis a self sustained kit that will work wet or dry andproduces a sure flame for several minutes to aid in

the ignition of marginal tinder sources like semigreen vegetation or damp shavings and barks. Thegreat thing about this implement to me is that it has avery large Ferro Rod built in to it for thousands ofpotential strikes as well as its own striker of tungstencarbide and a dry storage area in the back of the ABScase for storing tinder after the Wet Fire has been

(Continued on page 89)


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It is no secret that practicing self-reliance, bushcraft, survival and other outdoor pursuits is a tonof fun. One thing that becomes painfully

obvious when a large group of these like-mindedfolks get together is that it is heavily weightedtoward the male gender of our wonderful species ofcritter. This is an unfortunate outcome of these sortsof activities. Some might say that these skills are formen only and that women are not needed, nor arethey suitable for such activity. A quick and easylook at the history of Native Americans as well asother aboriginal cultures throughout the world willquickly tell us that females played a huge role inutilizing, on a daily basis, these types of skills. Sothe question is, how do we get more femalesinvolved, and perhaps more importantly, how do we

By Craig Caudill

go about getting our whole family involved in theseactivities with us? This must happen with theknowledge that we are all part of a more modern,rather than primitive society. The answers to theissues are simple and easy to overcome. The goal isto start them young and transition all new personsinto such activity gradually. Quite honestly these are

Craig Caudill is the Director of Nature Reliance Schoollocated in Central Kentucky. Craig has spent a lifetime

playing, studying, and living in the woods of Kentucky. He

teaches various bushcraft and nature awareness skills

through his school to individuals and small groups, in

private and agency/governmental sponsored events. Craig

makes his living as a full-time martial arts/defensive tactics

instructor at his school Bluegrass Budokai, also in Central

Kentucky. You can reach Craig at 859-771-8313 or via

email at [email protected].

Getting Your Family Involved

The Authors wife and daughter collecting pine pitch and bark.


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methods to getting anyone that is new to bush craftinto our mix not just females and our families.

Starting Them Young

One of the most tried and true methods is tostart the little ones young in outdoor pursuits. Whatwe mean by starting them young is to simply takethem with you. They dont necessarily have to be aproductive part of the goings-on to learn a great deal.How young is too young? We would humbly submitthat there is no age that is too young to start takingthem outdoors. I am sure we all have seen drawingsof native cultures and women of those cultures outdoing some sort of work with infants strapped totheir backs and/or chest. If you start your childrenyoung in the outdoors the things they do then willsimply become a natural part of their life. With thatmindset extended, when they are not in the outdoorsthey will often feel as if they are missing something.Please keep in mind that little ones are not miniatureadults and dont have the same interests that we mayhave.

We remember well, one of the first trips thatwe took our daughter on after she was walking and

out of the child backpack carrier. The superoutdoorsman in me (I say that with a lot of sarcasm)had a very nice plan to take a hike through somehardwoods, and eat a small lunch at a wildlifeclearing that contained a small pond. We were sureto get there and see all kinds of wildlife. My littlegirl (who is now not little anymore) had other plans.We parked the truck and within a few steps shefound an anthill that she was mesmerized with

watching the ants go to and from the hill. So ratherthan moving far ahead we entertained her interestsright there and put our adult interests to the side forthe day. I tell you that story to encourage you toremember that your interests for the day should notoutweigh your ultimate goal of getting your kids intothe woods.

Another way that is a useful tool for gettingthe little ones out and about in the outdoors is forthem to have their own backpack, possible bag,haversack, etc. This lets them be more like mommyand daddy and they will feel as if they are doingsomething really big and important, because quitehonestly they are. We made a couple of smallpossible bags for our children and told them theycould carry anything they wanted in them. Whatstarted out as carriers for Barbie dolls, rocks, leaves,and sometimes deer scat has now turned into theiradult sized carriers, which include flint and steel kits,

camo netting, water purification straws, etc.There are two activities that seem to go very

well for younger children and that is to play hide-and-seek and to play with fire, hopefully notengaging in both at the same time. Children lovehide-and-seek, and you can keep them safe fromgetting lost by walking along a trail and explaining tothem that they must stay close to the trail. We use totell our kids when they were little they had to beclose enough to hit us with an acorn as we walked bythem while they were hiding. This helps the kids tolearn camouflaging, moving through the woods

quietly, and even what an acorn is and how to findthem. Regarding fire, kids are not supposed to playwith fire right? Bull hockey! Your kids are going toplay with fire whether you are with them or not. Wepersonally believe it is built into our genetic makeup

The Author assisting daughter in bow drill practice.

The Authors daughter and son in

debris hut before completion.


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to want to play or utilize fire(and with water for that matter).Rather than have them do itbehind your back, find a safeplace to practice and let thembuild some fire. This mayinclude matches and lightersearly on, but you can easilytransition into flint and steel,bow drill, hand drill, etc., as theyget older.

Now with all that said,teaching these skills is anotheranimal all together and one thatis best left for other articles.Suffice it to say that any skillsyou may want to teach whetherit be bush craft or otherwise, tokids or adults, you should

always give them a little PCPalong with it. What I mean isPraise-Correction-Praise. Letthem know by praising them,then correcting them, and thenpraising them again. Forexample if you are teaching firebuilding and someone is gettinga tinder bundle going good, butcant seem to get a good fire lay,then help them like this: Youhave done a great job getting thetinder bundle going (PRAISE),you sort of just threw the stickson rather than placing them sothe fire could get enough oxygen(CORRECTION), now lets do itagain. As well as you are doing,I am sure you can get it the nexttime (PRAISE).

Transitions

To begin with I want to

make sure that I do not offendthose of the female gender if youare reading this article. I am soglad you are involved, but thenumbers of bush crafting womenin this modern society of oursare very few and riskdiminishing even further. So weare mostly speaking to men here

trying to get their wives,girlfriends, daughters etc. intothese activities. If you are afemale and are already doingthese things, then simply insertmale, for female here and getthat man out of the house!

W e h a v e a l r e a d ydiscussed some instances oftransitioning, but it is a worthytopic of detailing here, because itbears out well when you areencouraging someone who has

not grown up like we justdescribed. This may includeyour girlfriend or wife, who hasnever done such things. Please,please, please do not expect anew person to the outdoors towant to jump in feet first and goon a weekend survival trek withyou. Finding someone whowould actually jump intosomething that fast is rare,nearly impossible. It might bean easier transition if you simplygo to a park, then perhaps a dayhike into woods, then maybe acamping trip where you takeeverything but the kitchen sink,

and on it goes. That is what Imean by transitioning. To helpthe beginner you need to makeevery single one of thosetransitions as positive anexperience as you can.Eventually those newbies willbe skilled trekkers and bushcrafters.

We would like torecommend a couple of topicsfor you that most adults and, ourexperience has shown, females

in particular have shown to be ofinterest. The first of which isedible and medicinal plants.This topic appeals to mosteveryone, regardless of theirprevious woods experience. Italso blends well with those thatenjoy flowers, gardening andother such nature relatedactivity. The other obviouschoice is any sort of self-sufficiency type activity. Theimportant point is how you referto it. Whether you call itemergency/family preparedness,survival, bush craft, etc, thewording and other ways you

The Author and his wife studying medicinal plants together.


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present it to the person new tothe outdoors will play a largepart in whether or not they wantto continue such activity.

In the large scheme of

things, it is very important from

our perspective that your family

and/or other group have

sufficient skills in these areas. If

there is an EOTWAWKI (End

Of The World As We Know It)

event, it would be of exceptional

value to have all members of

y o u r f ami l y / g ro u p u n i t

functioning as a team rather than

separate entities. That does not

mean that all members have

equal amount of skill in everygiven area, but simply that each

person has at least a sampling of

knowledge in all areas, and more

i n t e n s i v e s t u d y a n d

understanding of a particular

area. For example, my wife has

a vast amount of edible and

medicinal plants, my son is a fire

making machine, my daughter

has a very keen sense of seeing

things rather than just looking,

and I enjoy investing time and

energy into tracking, trapping,

hunting etc. Each works with

one another to be somewhat

proficient in all areas of bush

crafting. If there never happens

to be an EOTWAWKI event,

well, there is absolutely nothing

wrong with being more self-

sufficient. It provides great

ownership of ones life, as well

as many, many opportunities to

enjoy time with your family.

The Authors wife with cattails gathered for making

bedding mats later in season.


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Q: What kind of Tents do you recommend?

Sara, NC

A: It depends on what you are doing &personal preference. Minimalist, if they useanything, will use a tarp. I like having an enclosedplace to crawl into at night. If I am going distancebackpacking, I want a double wall (one is a mesh),

free standing, 3-season tent, something a bit roomyand ultra-light weight (< 4lbs). Even if I am bymyself, I will use a 3-person tent as I like space (>36sq ft).

If I am mountaineering, in high altitude, cold,snowy conditions, I want a lightweight (


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some common symptoms include watery eyes,difficulty breathing and itchy eyes. Knowing andidentifying a few medicinal plants will be essential intreating your allergic reaction. Below are somerecommendations from wilderness expert, ChrisMorasky, Director of Pathways School in British

Colombia.Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is an

excellent treatment for poison ivy and poison oak.Its leaves and juices also work against nettle stings,fungal dermatitis and burns; apply the whole crushedplant to the affected area. It grows in NorthAmerican and mostly in moist woods. Many timescan be found near poison ivy. You can identify it bylooking for a plant with paired, elliptical, jaggedleaves accompanied by an orange trumpet shapedflower with red dots. The leaves are waterproof andthus beaded drops of water will appear on its leaves

in mist or rain giving it a jeweled look. Hence thename.

Wild onion and garlic (Allium spp.) bulbscan be crushed and the juice applied to stings. Thejuice is also an effective insect repellent. Widelyfound throughout North America.

Another treatment for stings is made from theleaves and/or flowers of wild rose (Rosa spp.). Chewthe plant and apply to the sting. Rose is veryastringent. It is found mostly in meadows and growsbest in sunlight as is identifiable by its pink/purpleflower and 5-7 small, compound and alternate

toothed leaflets.Mud and clay are quite helpful in soothing

affected areas and draw out toxins as they dry.

Q: What is in your first aid kit? Chris, IL

A: I customize my first aid kit before eachtrip. You want to consider environment, weatherconditions, altitude, activity and how many people.

If you are in a group of people and getting separatedis a possibility, then everyone should have their ownfirst aid kit.

Band-aids

Mole Skin

Gauze

Medical tape

Small sewing kit Tweezers

Alcohol swabs

Super glue

Ace bandage

T a m p o n sWater purification pills

Emergency space blanket

Granola Bar

Electrolytes powder packets

Whistle

Mirror

Lighter

Advil anti-inflammatory

Imodium & Maalox stomach Benadryl antihistamine

Cipro antibiotic

Diamox anti-altitude sickness medicine

Melatonin natural sleep aid (* I also bring Ambien)

Smooth Move Tea or Pills digestive aid

Calamine lotion

Altabax Ointment*

*Most people will carry Neosporin or othertype of antibiotic ointment. For those of us who are

severely allergic to neomycin or backtracking,common ingredients in the aforementioned, Altabax

is a great, yet expensive, option

Remember, if you require an epi-pen or areon prescription medicine; carry them on you at alltimes. Safety First!

Wild Onion & Garlic

Wild Rose


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There is an absolute ton of good informationthat can be had by way of the Internet or bynewsstand if one really wants to make a bow

and arrow of their own. To be perfectly honest withyou I had little patience when I got the urge to cutdown the nearest branch and string it up to make myfirst self made bow. So I took a little trip to thefield behind the house and began my search for theclosest donor tree or branch!

I remember the cool looking bows that thenatives were shooting at the great white hunters asthey tried to escape the arrows raining down uponthem in the old Tarzan movies!

My obsession with bows and archery grewstronger with every passing year. Trial and errorwere the twin brothers who held my handthroughout my bow building adventures. Theinformation that I gathered and some serious timespent in the woods just observing, helped me makeup my mind that anyone could make a bow andarrow.

To make such a weapon is in fact very easy.The tricky part is reading what the woods orenvironment is telling you, as THIS is the key tomaking a working bow and arrow. Yes, I just told

By Jamie Burleigh

you in the last sentence that you would be guided bynot only the stick that you are carving on, but alsothe woods it came from!

Do not discredit me yet, or think I can alsotalk with the animals. With the right guidance youshould have no problem making a fine bow.... noneed for special moisture meters, calipers, specialcutting ramps or sleds on a wood planer. You wonteven need to cross reference different treeidentification guides for your area or learn the properLatin name of the specimen you will probably end upbreaking anyway.

This all can be done at a later date, but fornow it is you, your cutting tool, and a piece of wood.You are probably as anxious as I was to just get out

there and cut a branch, string it up and shootsomething that resembled an arrow from it!

Here is a pretty good list of tips and

Jamie Burleigh lives in Michigan, practices and uses

primitive arts, survival skills, hunts, fishes, and tracks all

the creatures who cross his path while still trying to identify

his place in the wild.

Tips from the Bowguy

Soon you will be called upon by all of your friends and

family to build them a bow. You can do it, remember it's

only wood.

Some of the most challenging bow staves can be the most

rewarding!

Do not pull your bow back one inch past the mark at which

it does not look like the bow that you want to build. GO

SLOW. YOU CAN NOT PUT WOOD BACK ON TO THE

STAVE!


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suggestions that I have stumbled upon in my bow-making journey. There will be some I am leavingout, as there are SO many different scenarios we

could go through with different bow woods anddesign issues. I believe that this small list will helpyou achieve the ultimate goal in sending skyward, aspeeding arrow.

For what purpose will you use this bow? Willit be a hunting bow? A short brush bow? A smallgame bow? A simple gift to give away to a friend tointroduce them to archery? Or an experimental bowto test an unknown piece of wood or branch?

Try to begin with a vision of what youwant to build. You may totally change your idea or

concept that you originally started with when youfind the donor wood for your bow.

You can cut bow wood ANY time of theyear! Fall and winter are best, but not a rule! The

bark removal will be easier if you cut your bowwood during the Spring or Summer months, becausethere is more moisture. Trees grow year round, thatis why they have early and late growth rings...if thetree did not have these it would be dead!

If you take your wood in the Fall or Winter,the bark will be harder to remove as the sap is nowflowing back into the roots for winter and the woodwill have less moisture content.

Do not take the first good-looking piece ofwood you find! Just mark it with a bandanna orsomething and look around... if you found this one,you will find more.

When you cut your bow wood cut it a littlelonger than you are tall.

Look a little deeper into woodlots for yourdonor tree, sapling or branch. Straighter trees tend togrow from thicker woods as they try and reach forthe life giving sun in the overhanging canopy.

Do not worry too much about the pin knotsin smaller saplings or branches, as they are not fully-grown and you can usually just leave them proud onthe back, belly or side of your bow. No tree is

Using the same tool you can remove a little, or a lot. It just

takes a little practice and patience!

Here is my simple mark on one limb tip, very close to the

other limbs side. Some people use mathmatical formulas

and presice measurements when bowmaking, I do not as

what I have found that each piece of wood acts and reacts

differently, even if they are from the same stave. Some

wood will be stronger, some wood will be weaker, that is

why I teach in more of a "general" fashion. All wood staves

will react differently with every sliver of wood removed

from the bow.

Just starting out, I would suggest using saplings or staves

that are very close to a finished bow in size and length. This

will equate to faster drying times, less wood removal and

less calories spent making the bow itself.

To find center you can measure it or simply take a piece of

cordage and span it the full length of the bow, then by

folding that piece of cordage in half and laying it back down

on the bow you will easily find true center of the stave.

When this mark is found, I place my hand around the

centerline and make marks for where I want to the handle

section to be.


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perfect; you just need to realize what to do whenyou run into them during the process.

Before cutting down your tree or sapling, besure to look over the South side of the tree. In theNorthern hemisphere the South side of trees andshrubs are prone to have more branches or pin knots

on that side.Also remember that if the South side of the

tree is getting more light, that is the side of the treeyou want to really examine well, as this side of thetrees growth rings will be the thickest or mostdense. This property makes the bow very strong, andusually this is the side of the bow that you will wantto make the back of the bow stave.

Try to avoid trees or branches that areexposed to prevailing forces of nature, like wind,rain, beating snow and harsh weather. Thesespecimens usually are more twisted and have morecompression qualities than tension properties causedby the conditions it grew under.

When you bring your bow wood home, if youremove the bark right away, try to keep it out ofdirect sunlight and wind. If you leave the bark on, itwill be harder to remove the longer you let it sit orcure.

If you decide to make a bow right away witha branch or sapling and do not have any fat or greaseto seal it naturally, keep the bark on. Make a fireover soft or sandy ground, after you have made a hot

bed of coals, sharpen one end of the bow wood andpush it just under the coals into the ground. Do thislong enough to heat the wood, but do not let it get tohot to touch. If it is too hot to touch, take it out ofthe coals and place the other end under the coals toheat it up in the same fashion, then alternate.

Do this until the sharpened end naturallysplits then pull it away from the fire. Then proceed to

remove the bark completely from the bow. Now withboth ends dark and cracked, and drier than the midsection, wave the mid section of the bow over thebed of coals without scorching. Do this until there isno more moisture sweating from the branch orsapling.

Use fat, rendered animal fat, lard, or oils to

protect and seal your bows.Use the fats from beginning to end in your

bow making! As you remove the bark, seal it withheavy fats. It will slow down the moisture loss andprevent checking and cracking in fresh bow woods.It also helps protect the bow when you work it in thedifferent stages of wood removal and prevents excessmoisture from entering the fresh wood wounds.

Fat is also a wonderful protective sealantwhen it is boned or burnished into the finishedbow. I recommend burnishing the COMPLETE bow.

Listen to what the bow is telling you whenyou are cutting or scraping into it. If the tool ischattering or wanting to drag uneasy, work at it fromanother angle or side, go with the flow of the wood.

Every action you make to the bow will havean equal and opposite reaction. This is the rule ofnature. Do not try to force the bow to bend or pull ina direction it doesn't want to be worked in. You willhave trouble if you try to force heat, induce reflex, orflip the tips, re-curving a bow that has no naturalre-curve in it.

Surely it can be done, but the bow will fightyou all the way, either by lifting splinters, breakingdown internally, or flat out breaking on you. Let thewood be what IT wants to be. You will be happier inthe end.

Slowly reach the intended draw length whentillering or removing wood during the bow makingprocess. Pull the bow draw 50 times, then draw50 times, then draw 50 times, then full draw 50times.

Then leave the bow strung at the brace heightthat it will be at when at rest for 6-8 hours. Then un-string and let sit for the same amount of time. Thisprocess will give the bow wood memory of what itshould do when stressed to the limits that it will beunder in normal conditions.

Do not over draw the bow past its workedinto or set draw length!

For fast and simple measurements I like to use my hand for

a reference. Here I am going to place a mark, one hand

width below each limb tip. This measurement will give you

the proper measurements on where to start removing wood

to properly make the profile of the tips thinner.


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By Joshua Dick

The Air RifleFit for all ages...

Do you remember those golden adventuresyou had in the back yard with nothing morethan a stick and your imagination? Then

came the day when you received your fist real gun.Whether it be the ever popular Red Ryder" or the"Crossman" or whatever brand you had, theexperience was still the same. The raising of thebarrel, aligning the sights, the steady inhale andtightening of the trigger finger and then the exhaleand steady squeeze Pop! Your first shot and theting of the tin can sitting in the backyard. The joy ofthe adventures living in your mind.

The air rifle probably hasn't entered yourmind since you were young, but the advancementsand quality of these age old weapons would blowyour mind. There are four different common designsof the air rifle. There is the spring-piston type, thegas spring type, the pneumatic style and the co2

powered all of which are handy in the right situation.The spring-piston type has a maximum firing forceof 1200fps for .177 cal rounds 800 to 900 fps beingthe ideal speed for such a projectile. The spring -piston type has a higher recoil forward and backwhich can be hard on your opticals. "Opticals!?What opticals?" you may say.

Yes many newer air rifles have a scopemounted to aid in sighting for kills on gameanywhere from squirrel up to ram and deer, but besure you choose a scope that supports such use. Theamount of vibration caused by spring-piston type can

be hard to adjust to but with a little adjustment ingrip you can learn to overcome this obstacle. Someof the high-end models last for long periods with the

right care and maintenance which is minimal. Thegas spring type consists of similar actions as thespring-piston type except that in addition to theloading of spring tension there is also a compressionof gases to help expel that all important shot. Thebenefits of the gas spring type are the lower recoil,the higher precision with which each rifle ismanufactured and the faster lock time (the timebetween trigger pull and the discharge) which resultsin a higher accuracy which is what you need whenhunting with an average stock air rifle. Thepneumatic style is capable of 30MPa and come indifferent designs. The multi pump, the single pumpand precharge pump. The single pump isn't usedmuch so we won't spend much time here. The multipump type can reach speeds of 1000fps after 2 to 10pumps. The precharge pump is a multi shot designwhich only requires a single pump. It has low recoiland is mostly used by professional marksmen. The

multi pump design being one of the best to use. Theco2 style air rifle is not one of the most used typesbecause of the lower pressure, the temperatureinflux's on the propellant chamber, and the cost ofpurchasing propellant and ammunition just isn't

Joshua Dick grew up in a small town in central Illinois. He

began to show interest in the outdoors and survival at an

early age. He is an avid outdoorsman, paddler, hunter and

student of the art of survival. He dedicates everything he

does to his son Alexander and his family.

Kunitomo Air Rifle from 1820's.

Different styles of pellets used for hunting.


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economical for the common sportsman.

There are many reasons for deciding to usean air rifle instead of conventional firearms. The airrifle is lighter and quieter which can give you thechance for a second or even third shot. Its easy to

care for and you never have to worry about wetpowder or misfires (which I have never seen or heardof in thirty years). All of these reasons make it agreat weapon choice for canoe camping trips orwinter trips where you have to worry about moisture.The sporting aspect of using an air rifle instead of astandard firearm can be compared to that of archerywhere your stealth and shot placement are critical intaking game.

You may say thats all good if you want tohunt small game, but I want to bring in the trophydeer and ram as well as comparable sized game.

Well with the properly placed shot at the right rangeyou can take down larger game easier than some ofthe smaller game like rabbits, turkey and squirrel.There are places on the internet with field use andspecifics of caliber and distance as well as the fpsneeded to deliver a critical hit. Here is the one I use."www.beemans.net" which is the best I have found.

There are many different calibers ofammunition you can use for your new adventures.Calibers being .177 or 4.5mm, .20 or 5mm, .22 or5.5-5.6mm and .25 or 6.35mm. There are two

different types of ammunition which are used forhunting. The BB and the pellet (which have manydifferent designs). The BB's come in different gaugesbut the weight is usually constant within a couple oftenths. The pellets come in different calibers as wellas alloy and weight. The types being pointed, hollow,domed and wad cutters as well as combinations ofeach with steel, copper, zinc and lead alloys used forpellets and BB's.

One of the oldest known air rifles in existence.

The economical values of using an air rifleinstead of a common firearm are on totally differentends of the spectrum. You can purchase an excellentair rifle at your local store for $35 to $125 or couldbe purchased for upwards of $500 for some of youdie hard "air" heads. The ammunitions are a minimalcost of around $10 for 500 rounds which will last along time for any level of marksman.

The laws for use of air rifles have changedover the years so you may want to check on yourlocal laws. Most state that individuals must bethirteen years of age to use an air rifle. Some requireyou possess a FOID card to use rifles above a certaincaliber and muzzle velocity. So before your ventureremember to check all state laws that apply and makesure you comply.

So next time the warmth of the sun and thebreeze make you yearn for the adventures of youryouth. Go to your closet. Drag out that old faithful

"Red Ryder" rifle or go buy a new one and head tothe woods and stalk your next bit of meat. Createnew memories and recall the old with the only toyyou will ever need.

760 Pumpmaster .177 , 700 fps air rifle with 4x15 scope.


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23/100


TheSemi-Pyramidal Shelter

When it comes to survival, or self-reliance,most of us know the famous rule of three:three minutes without air, three hours

without protection from the elements, three dayswithout water and finally three weeks without food.Not respecting this rule may throw you in more thanserious issues and by that, I mean a probable death.This article focuses on one of these rules: three hourswithout protection from the elements. Shelters beingone way to get out of what the weather may bethrowing at you, I am going to talk about one very

By Matthias Bart

specific tarp shelter.

In bushcraft, there are various ways to setup atarp to make a shelter. Some of them are made with aspecific purpose or terrain in mind; some others areexcellent all around quick shelters. I think it isreasonable to file the semi-pyramidal shelter underthat last category.

In the wilderness, wind and dampness can beserious issues just like heat and cold. Sometimes,rain can interrupt a hike and leave the ground totallydamp, the snow coat can be too thick to dig it to thesoil, and the wind may freeze you to the bones andsteal the heat of your fire away from you as well.

I have tried loads of tarp setups over theyears, but one of them has always allowed me to

Mattias Bart is a lawyer trainee from Switzerland. He has

spend most of his free time in the woods since the age of 8,

trying to discover, learn and train in both survival and

primitive skills as well as other bushcraft skills. You can

follow Matthias on YouTube with his channel PinewoodCH

which is linked with a survival project of the same name.

Just enough space to sleep.


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solve the issues mentioned above and has becomeone of my favourite shelters: The Semi-PyramidalShelter.

This setup has several key features that makeit an excellent quick shelter for mountaineering,trekking, general bushcrafting and, of course,

survival. Depending on the size of the tarp, it maynot be the most roomy for sleeping (I do usually usea two-by-three meter tarpaulin) but it excels in quickprotection from the elements.

The benefits are that it offers an outstandingprotection from the wind, provides protection fromthe ground, conserves a lot of heat from the fire infront of it; it is also quick and easy to setup, very

flexible and you can close it totally.

Of course, if you want a 360 panorama onyour surrounding, this is not the shelter to build. Youwill not feel as connected to nature as with an A-frame setup high over your head, but as usbushcrafters like to say: knowledge doesnt weigh

Above: Picture 1 - Tarp is laid flat.

Below: Picture 2 - Stake loop W to the ground.

Picture 3 - Loops A and B are brought to the front and

Picture 6 - Tightening loop Y using a ridgeline.

Above: Picture 4 - Attach corners C and D to the same

stake as A and B.

Below: Picture 5 - Pull and stake loops X and Z to the

ground.


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anything and knowing several tarp setups adds toyour personal outdoor flexibility and capacity ofadaptation.

Setting up the semi-pyramidal shelter

The way I am going to describe here is not

the only one but probably the easiest to show andexplain. All steps are described with the viewerstanding in front of the shelter, looking at itsopening.

For an easy comprehension, I have labelledthe four corner loops A, B, C, D and the four mid-length loops W, X, Y, Z.

For this setup you will need:

A tarp. Its minimal size should be two-by-threemeters. Its possible to build a shelter with a

Above: Picture 7 - The central pole method.

Below: Picture 8 - The two-pole technique.Above: Some useful accessories.


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smaller tarp but it might end up being much too

small.

At least four tent pegs. Add one if you wantto use a central pole for the opening and one more ifyou want to attach a guyline to the central loop of thetarp for extra tension.

A length of ridgeline, I use six meters eightmillimetres, 300 kilos tensile strength cord. This itemis optional but useful to get a pole-free entrance.

One or two guylines, optional of course, butuseful for holding the front pole straight, attachingthe top of the shelter to a tree and attaching the

central loop to a ridgeline and a stake for moretension on the tarp.

Step by step

Lay your tarp flat on the ground, wide side infront of you. (pict. 1)

Stake the loop W. to the ground. This will be the

back anchor point of your semi-pyramidalshelter. (pict. 2)

Bring the two back corner loops A. and B. underthe tarp and to the front. Add tension, stake them


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to the ground in line with the back stake (pict. 3)

On that second stake, attach corners C. and D.(pict. 4)

Pull and tighten loop X. and stake it to theground. Repeat this step with loop Z. You shouldnow have a nice triangle. (pict. 5)

Now its time to erect the shelter using loop Y.Here, one cannot count the possibilities. You cantighten the loop Y. using one wooden stick and alength of guyline or a trekking pole, use twopoles on the outside of the shelter, tighten a ropebetween two trees. Possibilities are almostendless. (pict. 6, 7, 8)

If you are in a hurry, the central pole may bethe only solution you will have but it is far lesscomfortable than a pole free opening. The most

comfortable setup is achieved by using two polestied together and fastened to loop Y. This setupallows you to tighten perfectly your tarp shelter andleave the entrance totally free which excels whenyou intend to build a fire.

The last thing youll have to build is a

reflector for the fire and as it takes about fiveminutes to build that one, you will have plenty oftime left.

There is no such thing as the ultimate shelter.Sharing techniques and learning from each other isthe best way to know what shelter to build in whichenvironment. But this shelter regroups several keyfeatures that make it an excellent option to know beit to set it up on the beach or in the mountains inconjunction with your trekking poles.

Now, get out and enjoy the Great Outdoors!

Matthias BART


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Water can arguably be the most importantsurvival tool, other than using your head.A good percentage of the human body is

made up of water, and no matter how much of a wellrounded outdoorsman, indoorsman, or sportsman youmay be, you are going to have to have it at somepoint, within about three days. Thus is the sacred artof homeostasis, or roughly speaking, the process of

keeping bodily functions balanced. Of course, onecannot drink foul water, so it must be treated. Boilingwater is a sure way to get rid of pathogens. Theprocess takes time and is hard to do while on themove, and there are a host of different situations, beit snow, torrential rain, park regulations, and lowhumidity, where a fire can be unwanted and evendownright dangerous. Even soldiers, hunters, and

By Joe Flowers

stealth campers can attest to the disadvantages of

an open flame when trying to passunnoticed. Chemical water treatments are fantastic inthese situations. While Im sure other readers enjoy arolling boil on an open fire as much as I do, read onand add these viable options to your woods walkingtoolbox of knowledge. You might even add some ofthese to your kits too.

Chemical treatments of water haveadvantages over other methods, but the features thatmake them attractive are time and compactness.Many of these chemical treatments require a periodof time to work through and kill all the contaminates,yet that time can be while the individual is movingon the trail, not in front of a water source pumpingwater rigorously. The tablet treatments will stuffeasily into the side of a canteen pouch or small kit,and do not take up the same amount of space as mostfilters. They are limited to the amounts of tablets youhave, and the taste can be kinda funky some times,but you can adjust to it easily.

Joe Flowers lives in the mountains of North Carolina.

Following his love for animals and the outdoors, Joe got a

B.S. in Zoology from NC State with a minor and

concentration in Entomology. In pursuit of his passions

such as reptiles, amphibians, machetes, and bugs, Joe hastraveled from the deserts of Utah all the way down to Peru

in search of bushcraft skills, friendly people, and not so

friendly creepy crawlies. Joe also writes professionally for

many outdoor and nature magazines, designs and consults

for knife companies, and makes videos on the side for fun.

Joe also works at a non-profit center when he isnt writing,

where he teaches survival classes, fitness, and coordinating

youth activities for his community. He also has an affinity

for Godzilla movies.

Popular Chemical Water Treatments

The Potable Aqua and Potable Aqua Plus jars are shownhere. Notice the rust after a few years of storage. Shelf life is

advised at one year.

The Polar Pure Water disinfectant is a handy item to have

for its grab and go factor. With an indefinite shelf life and

ability to treat large amounts of water, this is a great item to

have on hand for emergencies.


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Iodine is one of the most common chemicalsin water treatment. Many different militaries aroundthe world issue out Iodine tablets for theirperformance in controlling pathogens. Iodine worksbecause it attacks the cell membrane of any bacteriainside the water. You cant live without your skinright? The same goes for cells and their membranes.

Portable Aqua Water Purification Tablets

Perhaps the most popular and widelyavailable items on the market are the Portable Aquabrand Iodine tablets. These small tablets come insmall .21 oz jars with fifty tablets. The tablets aremade of TGHP (Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide), andwhen submersed in water, a chemical reaction takesplace that releases the TGHP molecule. The tabletshave a buffer as well, so the treated water has a5.5PH, instead of becoming very basic or veryacidic. Among the people who are anti-iodine, thereare complaints of the taste that these tablets produce.

Portable Aqua Plus is a product that neutralizes thefunky taste, and is sold commonly in packages withthe Portable Aqua Water Purification tablets. A littlesecret for the fellow bush student, vitamin Cneutralizes the taste in the same way. All that isneeded is a sliver from a vitamin C pill.

TIPS

The required time to kill about 32-ounces ofwater is thirty minutes, give or take depending ontemperature. Make sure that you let a little bit of thetreated water dribble out to treat the water that isaround the lid as well. You can contract nastys thatway, Ive had friends who have contracted Giardia

just from drinking water, on top of a beer can thatwas cooling in a stream. Keeping the bottle openfor long amounts of time is not recommended either,as the tablets can react to the humidity in the air. Theshelf life of an unopened container is around fouryears, but the company recommends that the bottlesbe disposed of after about a year. I dont use fiftytablets of this stuff a year, so mine are a little (very)old. Personally, Ive used the tablet themselves thatare over two years without any problem, but that ismy own observations. You can go on their website,under the FAQs, and find out when the manufacture

date is on the side of your bottle. I dug one out that isover seven years old! It has a rusted top due to theiodine oxidation. Be sure not to store the bottles nextto important metal material either as the fumes canoxidize items in the near vicinity. I store the PotableAqua bottles in a plastic jar out of the sunlight, andthat helps.

Polar Pure Water Disinfectant

Another type of iodine treatment system isthe Polar Pure Water disinfectant jar. It is extremely

The Chlorine Dioxide tablet by Potable Aqua is a fantastic

kill all tablet. They come packaged in foil packets for easy

storage inside a pack. Note that they do take up to four

hours to treat water.

This is the same manufacturer as the Potable Aqua Iodine

tablets, only in military issue form. It has the same

expirations numbers used to determine how the age of a

Potable Aqua jar.


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easy to use, and comes in various sized bottles.There are iodine crystals at the bottom of the amberglass bottle, and water is added to make a solution. Aspecial pouring spout keeps the crystals from runningout when pouring. This solution is ready to go whenyou go out into the woods, and the solution is pouredinto the cap. The amount of capfuls is determined byyour container size. In 68F water, it only takestwenty minutes, but most of the time manyoutdoorsmen are in cooler temperatures. Thecompany recommends putting the water in sunlight,adding hot water, or just waiting longer for thereaction to take place. I have found that a 30 minutewait time has kept me from seeing any intestinalaberrations, but you may find your experiencedifferent. Even though the jar is more bulky than thetablets, the shelf life is fantastic and indefinite aslong as you can see the iodine crystals at the bottomof the solution. I also like this treatment for its graband go factor, and normally throw it in my car

camping bag if Im not sure on the water source. Ithas been a savior many times over, and can treatlarge amounts of water.

What iodine kills

Iodine effectively kills most of the Shigellas,Salmonella, Escherichia Coli, hepatitis, Giardia (thebig one that leaves you on the toilet), many of the

bad guys that create dysentery, and a host of othercommon organisms. Giardia is the main enemy, as ithas been spread through many water systems by wayof livestock waste. One pathogen that iodine has notproven to be 100% effective against isCryptosporidia, a hardy parasite that gives off manyof the same symptoms as Giardia. It has a thickwalled phase in its lifecycle that gives Iodine a hardtime. What kind of chemical treatment works againstCrypto? Chlorine Dioxide is one of the chemicalsthat can kill everything Iodine can, and Crypto aswell.

Chlorine Dioxide Tablets

Portable Aqua also has a Chlorine Dioxidetablet commercially available, usually coming inindividual packs of thirty. These little foil sealedpackets are easy to use, and one tablet treats a liter.This stuff uses a gas that oxidates, goes through acell wall, and reacts to the amino acids inside thecell. This is not to be confused with Chlorine likebleach, which uses a different mode (chlorination) tokill pathogens. As long as the foil remains intact, the

tablets can last for four years. The only catch that theChlorine Dioxide tablets have is the treatment time,which is four hours. That long of a wait can becantankerous while backpacking, but may be worth itif you are treating for a large campsite.

(Continued on page 89)From left to right, Chlorine Dioxide Tablet, Polar Pure

capful, and the Potable Aqua iodine tablet.

With any chemically treated water, make sure to get the

threads of your container as well. I tip mine upside down

after a little while to leak some of the treated water through

the threads.


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Water carriers are abundant and cheap thesedays. Its really up to you what you wantto use to lug your precious lifesaving

liquid around when you hit the woods. It could besomething as simple as a disposable plastic waterbottle and a handmade paracord carrier. If you wantto get a bit fancier there are any number of waterbottles available in both plastic and stainless steel,like those from Nalgene or Guyot, and theres theever popular U.S. pattern military canteen either insurplus form or one of the new versions fromNalgene as well. Costs on the bottles and carrierscan vary but it isnt hard to spend fifty or sixtydollars depending on the bottle and carrier selected.If you have a pack, you have more options forcarrying water. Many packs have hydration bladdersthese days or at the very least have bottle carriersbuilt in. Sometimes though, its nice to be able totravel light and itd be great to just grab your waterbottle and go.

With the go light and easy theory in mind, allI wanted was a canteen with a carry strap, nothing

fancier. Id seen some modifications done to U.S. GIcanteen carriers but I really just wanted something Icould buy, grab, and go; not something I had tomodify or tinker with to make work. Somewherealong the way I stumbled across the Chinese Type 87military issue canteen that came complete with a webharness and shoulder strap. It appeared to be exactlywhat I was after. It was a retro looking surpluscanteen of aluminum construction with a greenenamel finish. The Type 87 was a military issueproduct, not a cheap commercial knock off of somesort, and its supposedly the same style the NVAused during Vietnam as well. The fact that it had ashoulder strap was what really drew me to it, but I

By Tim Stetzer

liked the overall style of it as well. It was a roundishshape that looked like itd be comfortable to carryand it certainly looked pretty sturdy. Naturally, bythe time I finally decided to order a couple, I

couldnt find them anymore. Well, leave it to Ebay tohave all of the oddball stuff you cant find anywhereelse. I happened to find a seller direct from Chinawho had the canteens for sale new. The listing wasinteresting as it stressed the canteens military usageand durability. I knew they had looked sturdy fromthe pictures that Id already seen but the seller reallywent out if his way to show you just how sturdy they

The Type 87 Canteen:Military Surplus Fit For Woods Bumming

Tim Stetzer was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania,

an avid camper since the age of 12. Tim has served in the

US Army, the Air Force Reserves and is now a Police

Detective and enjoys shooting, knife collecting and hiking.

Tim has been writing professionally since 2006 and helped

found the online outdoor magazine, Woodsmonkey.com in

2008. Tim is currently Associate Editor of

Woodsmonkey.com

Canteen has a canvas carrier and adjustable canvas

shoulder strap making it easy to grab and pack in the field.


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are. He took a hammer to the canteen to show howmuch abuse it could take and how tough the enamelfinish was. Even with the sides smashed in theenamel held up and the canteen functioned normally.He roughed up the canteen body and mouth prettygood and did a decent job of documenting it with lotsof photos. It was a lot more abuse than you couldexpect subjecting your canteen to banging about onyour body while out woods bumming. Its unlikely itwould get that beat up even if it took a good fall onsome rocks while climbing. I was sold anyway, so I

ordered a pair of them for about $15 each.

When I got the canteens I have to say theyexceeded my expectations. Like many ComBlockand ChiCom military products these things are builtlike tanks! They use very heavy aluminum walls;have a sturdy brown Bakelite type screw on cap witha retention strap, and are finished in a very thickenamel coating. The enamel is an attractive deep

The Canteen has a very tough green enamel finish that

blends in well with woods bumming gear. The cap is a

brown Bakelite material and is attached to the canteen with

a lanyard strap.

The Type 87's strap gives plenty of adjustment so that you

can carry the canteen in a comfortable position near the

belt line.

The Canteen's cross body strap allows it to be swung to the

rear and out the way when you're working, or moving in the

woods.


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green color that goes well with your woods gear. Itisnt a flat olive drab like most U.S. military gear,but rather a slightly brighter, glossy green. The webharness and shoulder strap are adjustable and madeof sturdy canvas. There was more than enough lengthto comfortably adjust the canteen to carry just at, orslightly above waist level. The cap and threads matedup well and were easy to screw on and off with noleaks of any sort. Theres an inner gasket to help sealthe cap when closed and it seemed to work just fine.While I didnt malletize my canteen like the Ebayseller did, I can believe the pictures shown after

really examining the build quality of the Type 87.

The canteen weighs 11.7 ounces empty withthe strap and carries one quart of water, the same as aU.S. military canteen. Ive used my Type 87 canteennow for a couple of day hiking trips and on anovernight camping trip as well. I like the ruggednessof it, and especially the convenience of the shoulderstrap. For times when you dont plan on carrying a

pack, but still want some water along, this has turnedout to be a great option. Ill likely stick to myhydration bladder for backpacking and longer hikeswhere I am using a pack anyway, but for hunting,general woods bumming, and short hikes the ChineseType 87 canteen works out really well.

The Type 87 military canteen makes for agreat piece of field kit. Its super sturdy, fairlyaffordable, comes with a great carry strap, and hascool retro styling to it. If you like the idea of astandalone water carrier with a shoulder strap thisone is definitely worth a look. At the time of thiswriting I see a couple sources for them on Ebay andtheyre also available from Omahas Surplus for$14.95 if youd prefer to order from a statesidecompany (they didnt have them when I was lookingfor these!). Compared to many other aluminum andsteel water bottles of similar ruggedness thats apretty good deal.

http://www.omahas.com

The Type 87 holds 1 quart of water, the same as a U.S. GI canteen. They compare favorably in size, although the Type 87 is

more rounded and has smoother contours.


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1 year 6 bi-monthly issues


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F

ire! Stolen from the lightning of Zeus by thetitan Prometheus, fire has been manscompanion for thousands of years. Mythology

aside, fire arises from and is sustained by the firetrianglefuel, heat and oxygen. Remove any sideof this triangle and fire isnt possible. If you applyenough heat virtually any material will burnwood,aluminum, even the steel in your knife blade will beconsumed in the presence of enough heat. Heat in theform of an externally applied source or self-sustaining is the hardest leg of the triangle toprocure, produce and maintain. Interestingly enoughoxygen does not burn; oxygen is merely an oxidantor catalyst that allows the interaction of heat and fuelto take place fast enough for fire to be produced and

maintained.

Rooted in mythology and explained byscience, fire is still largely an art to produce. In thisarticle, lets take a look at some of the craftsmanstools and techniques that produce this important self-reliance element.

As I write this the outside temperature standsat two degrees Fahrenheit and the wind chill is innegative numbers; on a day like today the ability tostart a fire rates high on the three-hour scale in theRule of threes. In fact I am going to argue that the

By Steve Voss

ability to start your first fire enters into the three-minute scalewind, cold and frostbite will rapidlyerode your ability to use tools as the weatherelements sap the dexterity and fine motor skills from

your hands and fingers. If you want to test this,plunge your hands into a bucket of ice and water forfive minutes and then try to strike a match, flick yourlighter or strike your fero rod; you will be amazed atthe loss of function.

It isnt sexy but in cold weather my two mostimportant fire items are a candle stub and a Zippolightertwo very low speed but reliable items.Yes there are arguments against a Zippo lighterbutmine is thirty-plus years old and with fuel and flint itstrikes every time; Im talking about a quick, surefire in a hurry. The candle stub lets me transfer the

flame to another reliable and slower burning fuelsourcewax. A few years ago I broke through theice crossing a shallow creek and got wet to theknees; not life threatening but cold. A handful of drygrass and some Sycamore branches provided tinderand fuel for a quick fire. My lighter lit the candle, thecandle lit the tinder and in short order the treebranches were burning hotly. I dried my pants,

Steve Voss is an avid outdoorsman with over 50 years ofadventures and first-liar does't stand a chance tall tales. In

addition to fieldcraft, Steve has been known to enjoy

hiking, canoeing and hunting the occasional tree-rat. When

he isn't in the woods, Steve can be found riding his

mountain bike, working on his gear or discussing the

injustice of too little time in the field. The best compliment

he ever received was on a portage trail in Canada when a

loaded down party commented, "You boys sure do travel

light!"

Fire KitQuick, sure, reliable fire starters are the subject of this article. The concept behind your first fire is one that you

need NOW and most likely need badly!

The fire kit described is packed with a number of sure thing ignition sources. Some are old, like matches and other

are new, like a high-tech ferocium rod; but all have a high degree of success in producing ignition. The kit was designed to be

compact and reliable.

Because the emphasis is on successful ignition Ive left out any number of primitive bushcraft methods to start a fire.

No fire piston, fire plough, flint and steel, bow-drill methods are included. These are all time honored ways to start a fire given

the right materials, enough time and the proper skills and practice.

In a self-reliance situation maintaining a fire may be complex and difficult taskgetting it started in the first place

shouldnt make that task harder to accomplish.

Kit ready to go in the jacket pocket.


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brewed a cup of coffee and went on my way vowingto be more careful on thin ice.

With the quick and dirty out of the waylets take a look at one of my fire kits. This one ispacked in a small dry box (bright yellow so its hardto lose). The contents of the kit give me five sourcesof ignitionmatch, butane lighter, fero rod,magnesium/fero rod and Spark-Lite striker. Alsopacked in the kit are several sources of tindersomething to catch and grow the ignition source intoa steady flame. The tinder includes Vaseline-soakedcotton balls, commercial Tinder-Tabs and a smallroll of all-natural jute twine.

The dry box keeps the kit altogether andorganized; it has a built in lanyard attachment pointand a short length of Paracord serves as a lanyard orbelt tie-income to think of it the Paracord wouldalso serve as a string on a bow-drill set.

Looking at the ignition sources, first dont bequick to dismiss or deride a good match; in this casea commercial waterproof, strike-on-box match. It

wasnt more than a century ago that the match wasmodern and prized above all other fire starting

devices. The butane lighter is a more storable formof my tried-and-true Zippo; a bit cranky andstubborn in cold weather unless you carry it close toyour body. The fero rod and magnesium/fero rodsare just high-tech versions of flint and steelI keepthe strikers with both; in fact the hacksaw striker willwork with a bit of found flint or chert to throwsparks. The final ignition source is a Spark-Litestriker; small, compact and functional with only onehand available this is really a redundant Zippo strikerminus the volatile Zippo lighter fluid. I suppose Icould squeeze in a Fresnel lens or small magnifying

glass but my personal experience is when I reallyneed a fire the sun isnt shining!

The final items in the kit are a couple offorms of quick, reliable tinder. The commercialTinder Tabs will work even after having beendunked in water as will the Vaseline-soaked cottonballs. You may need to shake them off, squeeze themdry but they do work after a wetting. The jute twine

Contents ready to pack.


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serves as an alternative to natural tinder once youunwind it and rough it up; it also works well with abit of charcloth. (There is no charcloth in this fire kitbut it can be improvised in the field with very littleeffort.)

Once you have flame, you need fuel.Remember to start small, use the finest, driestmaterials you can find and give the flame room tobreathedont forget air (oxygen) is a critical

element here. The subject of fuel for the fire andtypes of fire lays is a subject in and of itself. It is alsohighly dependent on where you are/what you haveon handsoft pine in the north or dried buffalo chipsin the southwest and all in between may serve as fuel

to maintain your precious flame.

When you start a fire you establish a linkback through the ages with earliest man; a link that isshrouded in myth and legend. You also have anobligationmake sure you control your fire, dontlet it burn out of control or unattended. If you are onpublic land (recreational) please use established firerings/pits where they exist. If you are building a fireon native soil be sure to create your fire with aneye towards leave no trace. By doing so youmaintain the wilderness experience for the next guyand you have an opportunity to practice yourstealthremember the best fieldcraft is never seen.

Packed up and ready to close up.

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For advertising information, rates, sizing and etc.

Please visit our website at: www.selfrelianceillustrated.com

or contact us via email at: [email protected]


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When we first think of friction fires, we allget visions of hand drills and bowdrills. and its only natural since these

are the most often spoken of, and taught methods ofprimitive fire starting. I am going to tell you about amethod I use from time to time that can be done withone hand and the "tree" you use for it can be used formany other items with little to no work. I am ofcourse talking about the bamboo fire saw method offire starting.

Its a little known fact that bamboo grows all

over the US. Some stories have it being broughtover by Chinese workers when they were buildingthe train system across America. I tend to believethis, since that is where most of the outcrops that Ifind reside. People also dig up the shoots, and plantthe trees in spots that get a lot of noise, or windtraffic, as a barrier against them. Little did theyknow that in a couple of years time the small patchthey planted would be taking over the entire yard.Bamboo, and River cane are of the same family andvery similar in makeup and design, but river cane is asmaller and thinner variety. True bamboo can beanywhere from one-and-one-half inch around, to fiveinches and as tall as fifty feet. With some varietiesthe wall thickness will be as much as three-quartersof an inch.

Ken Seal was born in Sumter, South Carolina and has lived

in Florence, South Carolina all of his forty-two years. He

served in the US Army with the 72nd FA Brigade in

Germany, is an avid outdoorsman, a leader in the

Pathfinder Youth Organization, and an all around knife

fanatic who also enjoys making knives from time to time.

The Bamboo Fire SawBy Ken Seals III


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For the fire saw we are going to harvest apiece that is about two feet long, three inches around,

and one-quarter inch thick works best to get fastresults. You will want to use a piece that has fallenover, is dead, or has been cut for a while. As with allfriction fires, the drier the material, the more likelyyou are to get a coal. Split the bamboo in half longways. Take one piece and cut a thin notch in it aboutone-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch wide, and oneinch long going the direction of the circumference.(See picture 2) You will of course need a birds nestmaterial, but unlike most friction methods where youtransfer the coal to the nest, here the nest will beused to catch the coal. You can use just twine, or

even a natural nest you have made or collectedbutI prefer to just use the bamboo to make the nest. Theouter skin can be scraped with the sharp spine of aknife (see picture 2a) and in short time you will havea good bit of nest, already fluffed and ready. Take

the nest and put it on the backside of the notch youjust made, and hold it in place with your thumbs, orfirst fingers (picture 3). Place one end of the un-notched piece in the groundthe other end goes inyour chest, just under your sternum. You can use a

shirt, or bandana wadded up to make it a little morecomfortable, or if you are a big fellow, you canwedge it into your hip. Place the notch on the edgeof the bamboo, (picture 4a) with the back of thenotch facing you, and the birds nest against thenotch, with light pressure holding it in place. With aslight downward pressure, and a steady rhythm, startpushing and pulling, or sawing the piece you have inthe ground. In a few seconds you should smell thetell tale smell of burnt wood, and see a littlesmokeas soon as the smoke rises, increasepressure, and speed. I generally count to ten when I

see the edge of the bamboo turn black, and thesmoke is rising steadily. Slowly remove the sawing


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piece and turn it over being careful not to drop thenest that should contain your coal. Take your time,and as with any other method, let the coal grow.Holding your hand under the nest, tap the bamboowith your knife, or other object, sometimes I use the

other piece, and the coal should fall out into the nest.(Picture 4b) With long gentle breaths you should beable to blow the coal into a flame.

Now I know what youre thinking. I said thiscould be done with one hand, and youre readingback over what you have just read, and you dont seehow it can be done. Here is the trick. If you areinjured, or like a good friend of mine, have only onearm, there is an alternate method that can be applied.This method is also great to use with children,because two people can work the saw at once,

making it a fun challenge for the kids. Prepare thebamboo as you did before, but when you split it intotwo pieces, we are going to shorten on piece bycutting off the nodes on each end (see picture 5). Thenodes are the sections inside divided by a thin, butdense membrane. Now split the pieces you just cut,so that you have one long piece, one short section

with the membrane on each end, and four split pieces(picture 6). Make your notch in the short piece, andplace your birds nest against the notch. Place thesection on the ground notch facing upyou mayhave to place a rock, or other item under the nest tomake sure it stays close to the notch so it can catchthe coal. Using the four sections you split off, driveone into the ground on each side and each end of thenotched piece (picture 7). Now take the longer

(Continued on page 90)


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As you may already know, one of the mostimportant things you can do prior to settingfoot into any section of wilderness is to let

others know exactly where you plan to travel, howlong it should take and who is going with you. Thisinformation, when given to park rangers and anyother local search and rescue operatives can prove tobe doubly valuable in the event of an emergencysuch as a bite from a venomous snake. Youll wantas fast of an extraction as possible by emergencyservices following a bad run in with the legless lizardif you plan to be away from civilization for a spell.

As a boy, growing up on the water I haveseen and captured more than my share ofcopperheads and cottonmouths but always did mybest to avoid contact with the dangerous end. Thesedays the majority of my spring and summer outingsconsist of deep woods hikes, the occasional bearsighting and skirting around a rattlesnake or two, andconsidering the fact that the rattler is so much morevenomous than a copperhead or a water moccasin, Iseem to be spending more time going around thelittle fellows than I did in my youth so Id like toshare a few tips to help you avoid being attacked bythese pesky little rascals as well.

Avoid walking through tall grass unless youare wearing thick leather snake-proof boots.

If you must climb over a log or rock, checkthe opposite side visually as well as with a walkingstick or similar long item.

Keep your hands and feet out of crevices thatyou cant see into.

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